First Test
by Oscar and Ruby
Summary: Sakura Haruno, the first kunoichi ever admitted into the Academy, faces misogynists, testosterone, and perverted teachers in her attempt to prove her value to the world, and herself... AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Edit:** Just a spot of editing and some additions. Nothing exciting. Kudos to -Shrooms. 'Tis all.

A/N: This is set in an alternate universe whereby a) the Uchiha never planned to rebel against Konoha, thus no massacre and b) Kunoichi are seen as inferior, and thus trained at a separate establishment to the boys, known as the Kunoichi Training School.

Cheers. Hope our rabid feminism is contagious.

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**Chapter the First**

Pausing before the entrance of the council chamber Tsunade inhaled deeply, attempting once again to plaster a look of drunken idiocy upon her face.

As Hokage of Konoha, one could be forgiven for assuming that she wielded absolute control over the running of the hidden village. As arguably one of the strongest kunoichi in the shinobi world, one could also assume that she had no trouble at all getting her own way. And from her famed forthrightness and bluntness, it would also be excusable for one to assume that what Tsunade wanted, Tsunade got. Immediately.

Unfortunately, in these, and many other cases, one would be wrong. As Tsunade soon found upon taking up the mantle of leadership.

In their search for a leader to stand against Orochimaru, many council members felt that the frighteningly strong, yet notoriously unlucky and impulsive, not to mention _female_ Sannin, was their best bet at an easily manipulatable leader. Tsunade, however, was not content to play along.

Following Orochimaru's recent attack during the Academy's mid-term exam, many cracks in the villages defenses were highlighted. The insufficient number of troops, lack of organization and resulting response time were inexcusable. Konoha had become complacent under the Sandaime, something his successor would have to change. And fast.

Despite being divided and indecisive, the council found a common enemy in Tsunade and her plans for reform, and cut off her attempts at progress at every turn. Conventional methods, she decided, would be useless. Something a bit more creative was in order.

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The chancellors watched with distaste as Tsunade stormed into the council chambers, sake bottle in hand. After taking a fortifying swig, she collapsed into her chair at the head of the table, startling several aged councilors out of their reverie. Silencing the protests at her tardiness with a massive belch, she proceeded to announce her latest alteration of Konoha's archaic laws.

"Girls..." she hiccuped, "are just the same as boys... and by that I mean... I mean... eugh... that is to say... ah yes! Girls are capable of strength of... muscles and character and... purpose! Yes."

The councilor on her left prompted her with a subtle clearing of his throat. "And your point being, Hokage?"

"My point? Ah yes, my point. My point... being... girls! Are just the same as boys. And as such, under the supreme power vested in me as," (another belch) "Ho... Hoka... Hogake? Hagoke? Hokage! Yes, under the power vested in me, as HOKAGE, I now pronounce that GIRLS shall receive exactly the same education and training as boys, if they so want... And vice versa."

"But... But..." Spluttered the Akamichi head, "That would mean that girls would be admitted to the Academy!"

"Simply preposterous!"

"I will not stand for this! Our Academy has a fine reputation amongst the Shinobi nations for producing some of the finest exemplars of ninja ever seen. Allowing women to walk its hallowed halls would ruin _everything_ this country stands for."

Furious, the Hokage's voice rose amongst the din, her drunk act forgotten. "Ruin everything this country stands for? I would expect no less from a weevil of a man who advocated for the ostracizing of the innocent son of our most beloved Hokage! What leader would disregard half of their population as inferior due to their gender? What father would condemn his child purely for being born female? What teacher would ignore a student due to something completely beyond their control? As a woman I stand before you as Hokage. As a woman, I stand before you and say screw you! You are nothing but an ignorant rabble, blinded by your misogyny to the potential of Konoha's women."

The council members sat, speechless.

"I will have the relevant paperwork at tomorrows meeting and you _will _sign it." And with this, the Godaime Hokage left the room.

"... Cantankerous old coots didn't even see it coming..." she smirked.

A/N: So there is our first attempt at a multi-chap (and non humour/parody fic...)... Expect updates to be fortnightly (hopefully...). Fingers crossed.

Next chapter, the story might actually begin...

Please review :) and as noobs, even criticism is appreciated and received with open arms. Ta ^.~


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: We kinda forgot last time and probably wont remember next time, so consider this a disclaimer for this entire fic. Blah blah not for profit blah blah characters and plot not ours blah blah belongs to Kishimoto blah blah _fanfiction_.

**Chapter the Second**

Ambling down the street, dragging her feet in an attempt to prolong the inevitable, Sakura Haruno plodded towards the last day of her first year at the Kunoichi Training School. Walking past the Hokage's tower, she heard furious howls of protest emanating from inside, but thought nothing of it. She had her own problems to mull over.

Everyone knew that the second year was when kunoichi began their 'real' training. Their first year was focused on the basics: first-aid and simple taijutsu and ninjutsu, enough to hold off an opponent until their male help arrived. At these, Sakura excelled. What she was really worried about was what she heard the senior girls talking about, the more 'intimate' missions, those discussed in hushed voices. Sakura knew nothing about love. Her only experience was a superficial crush on the youngest Uchiha boy, a childhood friend, but one whom she had not seen in many years. The idea of doing anything with a man she did not know left the 13 year-old terrified! Not to mention totally embarrassed... Unlike her close friend Ino, she simply did not have a speck of confidence in herself, hiding behind long bangs and library books. Lately she was beginning to think that the life of a kunoichi was not for her. Perhaps her parents were right...

When she finally arrived at school, Sakura found herself being dragged over to a group of girls in a corner of the courtyard. Releasing her pink-haired friend's arm, a boisterous blonde proceeded to clasp her in a bone-crushing hug. Ino Yamanaka was the daughter of the leader of a well-respected clan, who excelled at exactly the types of things expected of a good kunoichi. Sometimes loud and brash, she was nonetheless a truly loyal friend, and everything Sakura aspired to be. Releasing her newly asphyxiated friend, Ino proceeded to swamp her poor companions with the latest gossip. Sakura, completely disinterested in the dalliances of the clan heirs, turned to the blushing girl beside her. Hinata Hyuuga was without a doubt the kindest person Sakura knew, born without a single malicious bone in her body; a veritable miracle considering her clan. Next to her was Tenten Aoyanagi, a rather unconventional young woman. Eldest daughter of the head of an ancient clan famous for its weaponry and taijutsu innovations, she was atypical in that her family had refused to abide by Konoha tradition, and had brought her up exactly the same as her twin brother, something Sakura secretly envied. Uncharacteristically, Tenten seemed to be blushing slightly, especially at Ino's mention of a certain Hyuuga heir.

" Oh... and _this_ little titbit comes from the cousin of my mother's uncle, who overheard the niece of the fiancee of a Hyuuga branch member, who heard it in turn from a servant in the main house..."

"Just get to the point already Ino!"

"Meh. _As I was saying_, apparently the Hyuuga heir, you know, that really cute one with the hair to die for..." At which point she broke off with a wistful sigh. "Well, my sources say that there is talk of an arranged marriage between him and some girl from another prominent clan... It couldn't be an Uchiha or an Akamichi, their main houses don't have daughters. Neither do the Nara clan... It could possibly be that Inuzuka girl, although she is a bit old..."

At this point Tenten, blushing with renewed vigor, cut her off. "Well, actually, you see..."

But she in turn was cut off when the matriarch of the establishment entered the courtyard. "Alright now girls," she addressed the now silent students, "make your way to the hall. Even though it is your last day, you still need to uphold the honour of our school. Especially considering the identity of our guest speaker."

At this, gossip erupted like wild-fire.

"I heard it's the Uchiha matriarch!"

"Of course it isn't you idiot. Its the Hokage herself! Why, just this morning I saw her and the principal..."

And at this correct assumption, the girls were shepherded to their respective seats. Once they were all seated, the headmistress of the school rose, to a collective sigh of those resigning themselves to their fate: two hours of complete and utter boredom.

"Another year has come and gone, and thus another stage of your journey is complete. Throughout the year, many of you will have traversed windy, narrow roads, navigated complex intersections, become stuck at a roundabout, reached a pit-stop..." The foot of the Hokage, sitting in the front row, began to tap. "... your journey however, is not over..." Then her fingers began to beat a rhythm on her thigh. "... a cross-road lies before you..." Next her eye started to twitch. "... when choosing which path to follow, it is important to indicate..." At this, the Hokage sprang to her feet.

"Right, well, I would now like to 'indicate' my desire to address your students, if you would be so kind..." Ushering the flustered headmistress off the podium, she placed herself behind the stand and cleared her throat.

"Speaking of choices, the council has recently passed a measure allowing you kunoichi a chance to truly shine. While in the past, you have been regulated to the ranks of the masses, as of next year you have the opportunity to attend the Academy, and prove yourself to be just as capable a ninja as any man. No longer are your only options medic-nin or spy, you may now fight on the front line, if you so wish, or become a strategist or ANBU operative even. Providing you have the ability, I have ensured that no legislation will stand in your way. However, as my own experience has taught me, it will be a path fraught with challenges. Many will stand in your way, clinging to archaic traditions, stupid misogynist coots with their holier-than-though attitudes, saying you're not good enough to be Hoka-"

A cough from the front row.

"Ah, yes. Anyway, should you be prepared to take this opportunity, you should make your intentions known by approaching either myself, or my assistant Shizune, sometime this week. I shall be waiting."

At this, the Hokage left the hall to a deluge of whispered conversations and exclamations of shock.

After the conclusion of the headmistress' (rudely) interrupted monologue, Sakura left the hall in a daze. She had spent the entire hour after the departure of the Hokage contemplating the choices before her. On the one hand, she was far too insecure to even consider a challenge of this magnitude. On the other, nothing could be worse than what her future currently held in store for her, right? As the daughter of a clan leader, she faced a boring education, followed by an arranged marriage to a man she did not know, and a life of domestic servitude, keeping house and raising children, interspersed with missions of a rather unsavory nature. Sure, entering the Academy would be hard, and she would possibly face discrimination and bullying at every turn, but the Hokage would probably support her, right? And she would be going to the same school as Sasuke...

Reaching her group's normal spot, she was just in time to witness Ino's interrogation of the unfortunate Tenten.

"So... What was that you were going to tell us, eh Ten? If it has anything whatsoever to do with that Neji guy..."

"Well... you see... yesterday at lunch..."

"Oh just spit it out already!"

"Fine! As of yesterday I am officially engaged to Neji."

This rather abrupt revelation was greeted with a shocked silence. Then Ino found her voice again.

"Neji? _The_ Neji? Neji Hyuuga, heir to the flipping Hyuuga clan? He of the divine hair and drool-worthy body? The Hyuuga clan's greatest prodigy? Hinata's cousin? _That_ Neji?"

"Yes. How many other Nejis do we know?"

"Oh. My. God. Just wait till the others hear about this!"

And just as quickly as the information had been revealed, Ino vanished. She had always prided herself on being the first to know anything worth knowing, and this was most definitely the juiciest piece of the week, if not year.

Sakura turned to her mildly mortified friend, trying to be happy for her, and failing somewhat.

"Wow Ten, thats... thats... great. Now you'll be related to Hinata! And he is kinda good looking..."

"Yeah..." Sighed Tenten morosely, "and its not like we're going to get married any time now! I still have a couple of years..."

"Heh." Chuckled Sakura nervously. "So... What's he like?"

"Well, you see, I've kinda never talked to him before... But he is Hinata's cousin, how bad can he be?"

Hinata remained suspiciously silent, staring nervously at her shoes.

Ino, recently returned, stared aghast at this idiotic statement. "Ten dear, he _is_ a Hyuuga you know. And he was brought up by Hiashi, no offense Hinata, but the men in your family do have a tendency to have a stick up their..."

Sakura decided to tactfully steer the conversation away from this particular topic, so as to avoid Tenten and Hinata dying of mortification. "Erm... What do you guys think about what the Hokage said?"

Ino, astute as always, glanced at Sakura out of the corner of her eye. "Why? Don't tell me you are actually thinking of going to the Academy? That's crazy! A girl couldn't survive five minutes there..."

Hinata finally spoke up. "My clan would d-disown me if I even thought about it. A-after all, it just wouldn't be p-proper..."

Tenten laughed bitterly. "If only... I would go for it, but with this marriage arrangement... The Hyuuga would never except a wife who went to the Academy, and could actually stand up for herself. Like Hinata said, its just not 'proper'..."

Ino nodded her agreement. "No respectable clan would want a woman trained as a ninja. And I don't know about you, but _I_ aim to marry high. Its far easier than doing high-ranked missions, and the perks are great..." She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "I hear the Uchiha clan have particularly attractive butlers... But then again, going to the Academy _would _mean spending your days surrounded by boys... Like Sasuke Uchiha! Or Neji (even if he is technically taken...). Or that Nara heir..." She then proceeded to wander off to impart more of her newly-sourced gossip, happily ensconced in day-dreams of a harem of shirtless clan heirs.

Tenten turned to Sakura. "You know, if you really are considering it... I think you should."

Sakura gaped at her. "W-what?"

"Yeah," piped up Hinata, "you're really smart, and good at n-ninjutsu, it would be a waste to stay here. And I dont think your f-family would take it as badly as ours..."

"Well, I mean, look at my options... I either stay here and become a 'special' kunoichi, and marry someone I don't even know," Tenten's face fell a little at this, "or I give the Academy a shot. I'll not only be a year behind, but I'll also have a weaker physique, and I don't even have a Kekkei Genkai. I'll have to do twice... no three times the work as everyone else, and I'll probably be bullied a bit... I'm not sure I can do that. I'm just not, just not strong enough."

Tenten grabbed her by the shoulders. "Look, Sakura. If I had the chance, I would have been in Tsunade's office the minute her speech ended. But I can't. And neither can Hinata. But you... you _can_. Sure it will be hard, and you'll have to deal with a bunch of testosterone-driven, misogynistic, pig-headed, arrogant, chauvinistic-"

"I don't think that's h-helping, Tenten. I think she g-gets the point..."

"Right. Sorry. Anyway, the point is, you may as well give it a shot. You don't want to spend the rest of you're life thinking 'what if?' do you? And you can always back out if you find it too hard..."

Sakura wavered visibly.

"Just give it some thought, ok?"

She sighed, and then nodded.

Half and hour later she found herself outside the imposing doors of the Hokage's office. Steeling herself, she raised her hand and, before she had a chance to rethink her action, knocked once.

A/N: So there you have it. A chapter with actual stuff happening that is longer than 400 words. Le Gasp.

Firstly, we apologize for the really bad pep-talk, it sounds kinda cheesy after re-reading... And if the characterization is off, well its our first time actually bothering to think about a character beyond their obvious characterizations and fruit potential so...

And now to Tenten's last name: Aoyanagi is Japanese for green willow, one that has began to bud. We chose it for two reasons. A) it has quite a pretty kanji (hope this works: http : / jisho . org / words ? jap = aoyanagi & eng = & dict = edict - just remove the spaces...) and B) it sorta captures the character we made up for her, seeing as Kishimoto did not see fit to do so... This Tenten is strong, yet adaptable, and the budding represents her potential, which may or may not be realized...

Just on a side note, the headmistress' speech is copied verbatim from the speech one of our principals trundles out Every. Fricken. Assembly.

Joyness.

Do let us know what you think!

^.~


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